A Sicilian Romance

'Adieu, dear Emilia; never more will you see your wretched sister, who

flies from the cruel fate now prepared for her, certain that she can

never meet one more dreadful.--In happiness or misery--in hope or

despair--whatever may be your situation--still remember me with pity

and affection. Dear Emilia, adieu!--You will always be the sister of

my heart--may you never be the partner of my misfortunes!'

While the marquis was reading this letter, the marchioness, who

supposed the delay occasioned by some opposition from Julia, flew to

the apartment. By her orders all the habitable parts of the castle

were explored, and she herself assisted in the search. At length the

intelligence was communicated to the chapel, and the confusion became

universal. The priest quitted the altar, and the company returned to

the saloon. The letter, when it was given to Emilia, excited emotions which she

found it impossible to disguise, but which did not, however, protect

her from a suspicion that she was concerned in the transaction, her

knowledge of which this letter appeared intended to conceal.

The marquis immediately dispatched servants upon the fleetest horses

of his stables, with directions to take different routs, and to scour

every corner of the island in pursuit of the fugitives. When these

exertions had somewhat quieted his mind, he began to consider by what

means Julia could have effected her escape. She had been confined in a

small room in a remote part of the castle, to which no person had been

admitted but her own woman and Robert, the confidential servant of the

marquis.

Even Lisette had not been suffered to enter, unless

accompanied by Robert, in whose room, since the night of the fatal

discovery, the keys had been regularly deposited. Without them it was

impossible she could have escaped: the windows of the apartment being

barred and grated, and opening into an inner court, at a prodigious

height from the ground. Besides, who could she depend upon for

protection--or whither could she intend to fly for concealment?--The

associates of her former elopement were utterly unable to assist her

even with advice. Ferdinand himself a prisoner, had been deprived of

any means of intercourse with her, and Hippolitus had been carried

lifeless on board a vessel, which had immediately sailed for Italy

. Robert, to whom the keys had been entrusted, was severely interrogated

by the marquis. He persisted in a simple and uniform declaration of

his innocence; but as the marquis believed it impossible that Julia

could have escaped without his knowledge, he was ordered into

imprisonment till he should confess the fact.

The pride of the duke was severely wounded by this elopement, which

proved the excess of Julia's aversion, and compleated the disgraceful

circumstances of his rejection. The marquis had carefully concealed

from him her prior attempt at elopement, and her consequent

confinement; but the truth now burst from disguise, and stood revealed

with bitter aggravation. The duke, fired with indignation at the

duplicity of the marquis, poured forth his resentment in terms of

proud and bitter invective; and the marquis, galled by recent

disappointment, was in no mood to restrain the impetuosity of his

nature